Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Can you hear me? I am buried under a mountain of sewing, christmas orders and stock for the markets! My sewing machine is begging for me to stop and my brain is threatening to pop my eyes out from watching the poor needle go up and down for over 7 hours a day!!

However, I am proud to report that my stock for the Wrapped Market over the next 3 days is completed. As usual, I wish I had more time on my hands to create more items for my collection - but last night, I declared that I am only human with one set of hands. I also promised to remind myself of this OFTEN!

So I am here....just reeeeeally busy. I promise to be blogging a whole lot more when life settles down. I am also considering starting a new blog in the new year.....a fresh start to 2011. My goal for 2011 will be to blog without inhibitions or boundaries and more importantly, to blog from my heart no matter what. Writing makes me happy and brings me joy - more than I would have ever imagined.

In the meantime....here is a little snippet of some cute Christmas Dresses I have been busy making!!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

So with my car packed, Baby Moo being babysat by her fantastic grandparents (my parents travelled out to look after her!) and my business smile on....I braved my very first market today.

I didn't travel far - just into my local town for the monthly market. Instead of flying solo - I shared the stall with some beautiful and crafty Mamas and had a great day.

Sales were disappointing although I can't really expect much more as it was only my first time. I absolutely LOVED meeting all my new customers and have taken plenty of custom-made orders which is always FUN! I am happy with the business that my FB page is generating so I have no room for disappointment.

I can't say I will be a regular at the Markets - especially now it is warming up. Baby Moo was dropped off to me later in the morning and we both didn't enjoy the heat. So much that I eventually said that I was claiming defeat and packing up! Thankfully I heard no protest from the other girls and we were packed up and in the car within 10 minutes!!!

I am now tossing up whether or not to attend the Christmas Market....maybe a good nights sleep and a night away from the sewing machine may determine this!

This is just a snippet of what was available! If you LOVE it and WANT it - contact me on hannah@dallicottage.com.au!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

One of my all time favourite blogs is Nie Nie Dialogues. I have blogged about this beautiful woman before - did I tell you all just how inspiration she is? She constantly makes me laugh, makes me cry and always makes me put my life in perspective. She has gone to hell and back....and she will tell you how she feels - whether you like it or not. I wish I had her bravery some days to blog how I really feel without worrying about what the world thought.

Today while reading her blog, I read this and found myself really and truly relating to her....

"Love is what changes trying times into bearable times, and hard moments into a good learning moments."

The last few days in the life of ME have been unbearable. I have shed so many tears and have felt absolutely shattered. I have been finding myself wondering 'How can I pick up from this?' and it was only when I read this quote that I realised that as long as I have love in my life - then everything will eventually become bearable.

Love makes the world go round - and I find myself thanking my lucky stars daily that I have my Mr H to hold my hand and tell me that 'It's all gonna be OK'.

Monday, November 1, 2010

When I moved to the farm, my love for Summer turned to hate. I don't mind Spring but as soon as it starts getting hot and dry....I turn sour.

I always liked the heat when I was young - summer always involved long days in the pool, playing outside with my cousins and best of all...CHRISTMAS! Now I associate Summer with massive mosquitoes, millions of flies, bugs that hold your house at ransom with any light that you dare to turn on, dry wind, so much dust and most of all SNAKES.

I can usually handle all the other factors....but the snake population at the farm is just way too high for my liking. As I said to Mr H the other day.....'we live in a snake-infested oasis'. I love my cottage, my garden, my life here at the Cottage....but I really hate the snakes.

I remember vividly the year we moved to the farm and my SEVERE phobia with snakes or any kind of slithery amphibian. I remember speaking with Mr H's mum and asking her what the snakes were like on the farm and how many she would see per year....she reassured me and said that she would probably see at most FOUR per year. I was so relieved and then on the way back to the cottage after this lovely chat - we saw 2 sitting on the dam bank having a kiss....Day ONE of living on the farm - and we saw TWO snakes. That summer I stopped counting at 43 snakes....

Everyone was laughing at me that summer and I realised why! It is because I would wear my gumboots EVERYWHERE! There is a story that has been circulating about me for years of where my mother-in-law was bailed up by a snake at the back of her house. She called out for me to get the 'Twanger' (a long piece of metal pipe)....so I raced outside, grabbed the Twanger and in the meantime she was calling out to me 'WHAT IS TAKING YOU SO LONG??'.....but here I was trying to put my gumboots on! No way was I going anywhere near a snake without my trusty boots!!

There is another story of when Mr H's mum called frantically and said 'THERE IS A SNAKE IN THE HOUSE'!! So Mr H raced down there to find not only a snake in the house....it was on their kitchen table. Thankfully Mr H is pretty handy in the wildlife removal department and the snake was vacated from the homestead without anyone getting hurt!

After the flooding rains this Spring....the snakes are out in force. My dear neighbour is finding herself bailed up by big cranky brown snakes daily and Mr H is missing a few too many for his and my liking. At the dam close to our house, you can see the tracks from the snakes who are going over for a drink.....and there are enough tracks to bring shivers to your spine.

So it appears that I will have to put on the gumboots again and prepare myself for the 'Silly Snake Season'. Hopefully they will respect my wishes of staying out of my yard and away from my darling little Moo!